Outcasts and Their Fates
by Rinsinya-chan
Summary: 10 years have passed since Pitch and Jack still feels like an outcast to the guardians, Bunnymund just seems to keep stumbling over everything, and on top of it all Pitch is making a too quick of a recovery. Jack can't resist the nightmare kind a second time (better than summary, jackrabbit, corrupt angsty jack, also there is a cute oc you guys might like RATING MAY GO UP)
1. Chapter 1

Heya all, wow, so this is my first ROTG fanfiction, and I'm kinda excited, because i really do like this plot that I've managed to come up with! **Warning: This may be T now but rating may bump up to M Also this is unbeta'd so excuse mistakes**! so you know the summary, I hope you guys like this, Disclaimer: you all know i dont own any characters (except Surrel)

_xoxoxoxox_

E. Aster Bunnymund loved and protected a lot of things. Some knew this while others would probably never find out, or so he liked think. He kept these secrets close to him and always made sure to lay the uncaring character. Of course, he would never let anyone figure out that he was more of a lover than a fighter, but he would fight for what he loved. He made sure that it seemed as if Easter were always at the forefront of mind even though most of his thoughts went to his fellow guardians, for whom he always had his trusty boomerangs at the ready. They were his friends, well . . . all except one.

After the final battle with Pitch, everything seemed fine between them, but shied away from the other four. Aster suspected it was because the sprite was angry with them, even though he refused to talk to them about it. He could see why Jack would avoid him, as he said some jabs that he severely regrets, but not the other three, who treated him as family. The Pooka had wanted to speak to speak to him about this, and he had tried to catch him. He would always miss the newest guardian at the Pole, on top of none them knowing where he lived, so he had never been able to track him. And he had tried, but the spirit would fly and would never leave any trail.

To him, and probably many others, Jack Frost was a perfect creature. His skin was sublime, smooth and completely flawless, milky. His pure hair would catch the sun and his laugh was like low bells. Aster could not say he just had a crush, he absolutely adored Jack Frost. However, his fear of rejection and overall pride always got the best of them. He would forever remain distant to Jack. To protect him was his excuse, but he never really imagined that it would hurt anything.

It was a week after Easter, ten years passed since Pitch, and Bunny was in his resting period until his eggs came into bud for the next year. He had just finished cleaning the part of the Warren where he kept his private rooms, preparing something big, at least for him. He was already beginning to relax, but he still had things he wanted to do. He looked around at his humble home, comfortable but without the amenities like Tooth or North's homes. He liked it the way it was though. It was his home, warm and welcoming.

Finished with his cleaning, Bunny decided to make himself lunch, but before he could towards the kitchen there was a loud thunk above him. He shot straight up, his hand right over his boomerang. He cocked his ear upward, listening to the feather light steps, followed by a low chuckle and he let out a sigh of a relief before heading to the door. Outside was bright and warm, and had a soft breeze through his fur, which usually did not exist. The Warren was as green as ever, but not nearly as peaceful, sensitive ears picking up every noise.

He turned to examine the hill that was the roof of his house, where Jack Frost looked down at him. His torso was leaned forward, and his hands were on his hips, the elemental held his ever present smile firmly in place. Even though he seemed confident, Aster could sense the underlying uncertainty and nervousness, and in that moment he was caught between making the spirit comfortable or saving his reputation. Jack jumped, catching a piece of wind and floated down to him, where he stood a few feet away.

"Hey there Bunny" He greeted, opening his mouth to continue for a split second before he decided to clam up.

"Whadya want, Frostbite?" The Easter Rabbit asked maybe a bit too harshly.

Jack winced, but pretended to laugh it off, "What? I can't visit?"

Aster sighed in annoyance, "I'm too busy for this"

Both of them knew this was a lie, but Jack did not persist, "Okay, okay, fine, Mr. Kangaroo always has eggs to paint."

Before the other could say anything Jack took off on the wind, leaving Aster with his regret and guilt. He internally scolded himself. They were supposed to be making the young spirit feel welcome, not drive him away. Jack had mostly managed to keep that light expression, but he saw the sadness flash in those wintery eyes. He most likely hated the pooka, or that's what he made himself to believe. With a shake of his head to clear his thoughts, Aster decided to go back inside. Before he could though, something caught his eye that was very much out of place. He leaned down and picked up the object that was clearly Jack's.

He held his paw up to his face to examine the small wooden deer. It was intricately carved from some kind of dark would, the detail of it was stunning, almost like it could come to life, but not as something quite so natural. With beautiful patterns carved into her, the doe was fantastical. She looked as if she would start prancing and moving at any moment, but something so divine could not be living and breathing. It would be hunted down and destroyed in this world. He was tempted to keep her for himself, but from the amount of wear and smell of pine laying heavy on it, Aster could tell that it was one of Jack's probably few prized possessions. He had the problem, though, of how he was going to even be able to track down the white haired boy.

ouo ouo ouo ouo ouo

Jack slammed onto the ground in front of a small cabin, breathing heavily with his upset. He felt cold tears on his cheeks and grew even angrier with himself. How could he possibly think that Bunny would want him around? He was a mess maker, even if he tried to keep everything around him in order, he always ended up destroying something. Bunny would always just tolerate him; he knew that the old spirit had always objected to him as a guardian, and no matter how much Jack like him, Bunny would never return the feelings. None of the guardians truly liked him anyway. They only acted as much because they all had to get along.

He looked up at the moon pleading, "Please just tell me why you chose me? All I can do is make a mess."

Silence . . .

Jack sighed and trained his eyes on his bare feet as he opened the door to the humble building, "Stoic as ever."

_xoxoxoxo_

Hope y'all liked it I'm gonna update soon


	2. Chapter 2

Hey there everyone, hope you like this story so far, anyway i have a thing to say so here goes. **Warning: this chapter contains mentions of self harm and suicide! Please read with caution if this is a trigger! **

_xoxoxoxox _

The inside of the cabin was much larger than what it appeared on the outside, having been enchanted by the previous spirit who had inhabited. What looked to be a tiny and broken down one room was actually three, still humble, but more comfortable. The main room was set up as a combined kitchen and living space. The dirt floor was covered in plush rugs and thick cloth hung over all the walls, except the kitchen, to act as insulation. Even as an ice elemental, he still liked the comfort of the warmth to make him feel at home. The closest door to the main entrance led to a storage room that held trinkets and books, but it was rather cold, so the port was covered with a bulky blanket. The bedroom door was on the far wall and it mostly consisted of blankets and pillows in mountains instead of an actual bed.

Feeling calmer and safe in his home, Jack leaned against the door. He closed his eyes, painfully reliving his encounter with E. Aster Bunnymund, wincing at the harsh words that that echoed through his mind. He let out a disheartened sigh and found comfort in the rough wood that dug into his back as a reminder that he was safe at home. He was being driven to insanity. Often Jack had wished he was never chosen to be a guardian, then he soon realizes, without it he never would have been believed in. This fact often made him feel trapped.

"I need a snowball fight", He lamented as he pushed himself from the door. Even though he said this, he really did not want to see anyone at the moment. He walked over to the old worn-down couch and flopped onto it, staring, in thought, off into space. Three hundred odd years could put a lot of thought into one's head, especially when he had no one to talk to. He slowly and thoughtlessly reached into his pocket, but when he did not feel the familiar wood under his hand he snapped to attention. He frowned when he could not find it in his hoodie and stood up while, "Surrel, I'm not in the mood for games . . ."

Usually, if she moved from his pocket, Surrel would put herself in plain sight for him find, but this time when Jack searched the cabin, he could not spot her anywhere. His initial irritation settled into worry as he began searching behind curtains and on shelves. Surrel would not leave him, right? Not without a good reason, she would not disappear . . . would she? He became frantic with these thoughts and began tearing his home apart.

After nearly two hours of searching, Jack dropped himself back onto the couch. She left him. His only true friend . . . his skin crawled and he cradled his head as his whole body began to shake violently. He could not try again, he could not try again, he could not try to hurt himself, to disappear. Maybe he was just overreacting? He leaned back, hands dropping to the side and eyes at the ceiling. Maybe he would see Surrel again in a few days. She always came back. Jack hoped with all of his heart that she would

That night, the winter sprite fell asleep on the couch, having not moved from his original spot. Sleep that night was restless for him as his mind betrayed him with horrible thoughts.

Ouo ouo ouo ouo ouo

Bunnymund turned the small deer over and over in his head while he gave his thoughts to Jack Frost. He realized that the young spirit had meant him no harm, so why had he driven him away? He found it strange that Jack, who seemed so eager to talk and make friends, would always be read to go if he felt he was overbearing. He always seemed at ease with people from a distance, but when he was near, Bunny could tell he picked every word with cautious thought.

Aster let out a heavy puff of air as he stood, placing the wooden deer on the table next to his chair. It was late at night and with nothing to do in the dark he decided to sleep. He made his way to the bedroom, trying to ignore the off feeling that had found a home in his gut. He glanced back at Jack's figurine on the table, where it was the same as he left it. Why would he find that odd?

"You're going weird mate", he muttered to himself with a shake of the head, but he stopped when a small tap reached his ears. He whipped around, all was the same. Except . . . had the deer moved?

He turned the rest of his body and watched the wooden creature closely, still it did not move. Why should it? He must have been more exhausted than he had originally thought, probably just hallucinating. He picked up the figure, which, he noticed for the first time, had strange, living warmth, and he stared at it wide eyed. He turned it over, but what he was searching for, he did not know. For some reason, he felt the need to greet it, to make it feel welcome; however, why would he do that when what he was holding was not even a living creature? He could not deny the fact that this thing was warm, and it felt as though it shifted in his paw, and the undeniable and strange feeling of hope and wisdom.

Before he could even stop himself he kindly murmured, "Hello there little Sheila."

He nearly dropped her when she began to move, but quickly set her on the table and crouched down to watch. She shook herself as if she were waking herself from sleep, stretching out her neck to let out a soft and barely audible keen. It was one of the most beautiful things aster had ever heard, and his earlier thoughts of something so beautiful not living and breathing vanished as he watched her come to life. Every movement she made caused light to softly reflect and highlight the patterns still carved into her. Her eyes though, were something else. They sparked with an old intelligence and mother like kindness that put Aster at ease. She almost seemed to smile at him as she spoke, "Hello Aster."

He let out a gasp at this creature that seemed even older than him, her voice sounding like rain dropping musically on leaves. He could not help but feel an overwhelming sense of joy near her as she moved and spoke. His mind, though, drew him to another question, "Does Jack know that you can do this"

She only let out a little bob of the head in affirmative, before pushing the conversation in a different direction, "I have been with Jack for all of his life as a spirit, and I have seen him suffer as well as grow and find then lose happiness. I am a spirit of contentment, but even if I can calm him and give him temporary peace, I cannot change his ultimate and deep set sadness. He is lonely Bunnymund, and an outcast to you guardians. I have seen how you treat him."

At the last statement Aster winced slightly, for such an old spirit he had acted rather immature.

She continued after examining for a moment, "I know all your reasons, but I know that you see it as wrong as well. I can only do so much for him. Jack . . ." She paused for a moment to seemingly fight back the melancholy, "Jack has no family, no true family. As far as he knows I am his only friend, and his guardian. I will not force you to do anything, but I needed to speak with you."

Aster nodded slowly as he contemplated these words. Jack really did not have any family. No other spirit knew where he lived, and he would always shut out the other guardians with some deep fear of being rejected. As much as Bunny wanted to befriend the boy, he always let his pride get in the way, and now this realization hit him hard. All of them had known of Jack Frost for years but none of them reached out to him. They only saw him as a mess-maker. He sighed, "I never realized that it had hurt him so much."

It hurt his pride to admit it, even so it was the truth and there was no getting passed that. He had messed up. One of the oldest spirits in the world had royally screwed up and hurt someone he had promised to protect. The wooden deer only nodded as if she knew what his thoughts were, as if she had been through it as well, on both ends.

She walked foreword on the table and placed herself against his paw, only about the size of it, and he felt a soft joy wash over him. She seemed to almost smile as she spoke, "I must go now, E. Aster Bunnymund. Jack needs me."

He only nodded, "Goodbye little Sheila."

"I am called Surrel", she declared before vanishing in a wisp of opaque wind.

Ouo ouo ouo ouo ouo

Jack tossed in turn in his nightmares, crying out in terror, barely aware of the large shadow that stood over him. He whimpered, tearing up and wished with all his heart for some kind of relief that felt like it would never come. He saw himself standing in league with a nightmare, the king of nightmares, and it did not even seem that bad.

_xoxoxoxo_

I hope to update soon, also i hoped you guys like Surrel! I find her rather flat at the moment but dynamics to her personality will be added


	3. Chapter 3

Hey there everyone!, i really got to writing this one, so its almost twice as long as the first two. . . oh well hope ya like it.

_xoxoxoxox_

When Jack woke up that next morning, he groaned as pain shot through his head and seemingly his entire body. The remnants of the nightmares where still ingrained into his head, and even though they had caused him so much pain, he found the thoughts oddly soothing and welcoming. Standing at the side of the Nightmare King did not even seem that bad. On one side Jack felt that he would appreciate the acceptance, but he also knew that deep down that Pitch was evil and would only use him. Even with this fact, he knew that Pitch held respect for his capabilities, and he was not afraid to accept Jack like the guardians seemed to be. He was never meant to be a guardian anyway.

His thoughts then shifted from this to Surrel and all his grief quickly returned. He did not want to try to search for her again, even if he were a spirit and he did not easily get worn out, he was emotionally exhausted and he would not put himself through that pain again. He slowly sat up, nearly jumping in surprise when he felt something shift next to him. He was not ready to get his hopes up, but when he looked and saw Surrel curled next to him in a peaceful sleep his heart swelled with joy. He could not bear to lose her. He gently curled his hand around her so he could stroke her side with his thumb. The little spirit shifted and her eyes opened, hazy and childlike in almost confusion.

"Hey there Surrel", he whispered as she slowly woke, "I thought I had lost you."

She nuzzled his hand to comfort him, "I am so sorry Jack, I had fallen out of your pocket and got caught up. I am here now, do not worry."

He smiled at her mothering voice that she tried to use. She was much older than most spirits, but she still was more of a child like Jack. She could understand everything that he was going through, as well as Jack could understand the pain she held from her past. Still, Surrel managed to find joy with him and they had sworn to protect each other. They had seen each other at their lowest and had saved each other many times. Surrel and He had met in disaster.

Ouo ouo Past ouo ouo

_Jack lay underneath the large, ancient catalpa, half asleep and having a relatively good day. The warmth from the sun spotted over him and he enjoyed it as he relaxed, glad to not have any blizzards to make or lakes to freeze. It was odd that he had seen many other winter elementals, but none of them seemed to have any jobs like he did. He decided not to concern himself with it at the moment and just rest. It was strange for him to have such peace about him and he was not going to question it. He hummed and sang random bits of songs, watching the clouds that passed overhead to pick out different shapes and creatures. He was contemplating going for a flight to see what spirits he could find and maybe actually make a friend with before he solemnly realized that they all were strangely afraid of him, even other ice spirits. _

_ He sighed . . . fifty and a half years since his birth as a spirit had passed and still he was an outcast to the world he had been thrown into. He had met several spirits, a leprechaun, a sylph and some dryad who got mad at him for landing in her tree. All of them had either chased him off or ran off themselves. He had given up after the fourth attempt of trying to talk to creatures who would disappear in fear as soon as they saw him. He did not know what kind of stigma he held, but at this point he had given up on trying to figure it all out. At least he could make children happy with snow and ice skating._

_ With these thoughts he was about to drift off to sleep when a perturbing sound hit his ears, and he shot up. Jack looked around for the source of the noise, a small terrified scream. He jumped to his feet and listened again, only to be greeted by silence. He kept listening, rewarded with another shriek and he took off in the direction that the cry for help was coming from. He thought and slowed down as he reached the source of the noise. He could not just dive head first into this. _

_ He stopped; crouching on a branch over a clearing where the scene was taking place, the first thing he saw was a large huntsman, who was definitely not human. His skin was inlaid with stones and vines to act as armor and branch like horns extended from the top of his small head. A heavy smell of rotting moss hit Jack's nose, causing him to recoil slightly. He noticed that the huntsman was cursed, as large vines slowly tried to crawl up his legs as he stood still. He had clearly tangled with many spirits that he should not have. On his scarred face he had a sort of triumphant look as he peered through the mass of vines that hung in his eyes. He was a lumbering creature and clearly strong, with a large sack slung easily over his shoulder and many other odds and ends that hung from it. He had his eyes focused greedily on something, most likely the source of the screaming, but Jack had a hard time finding what he saw. _

_ Backed up against the wall, with some sort of liquid covering it, a small doe trembled in fear. She seemed to be made of wood and her size was so incredibly small that Jack felt the huntsman would easily crush her. She held one of her legs up, as if it was in pain, and she had no way to escape from the hunter. If she were not so injured and disgruntled, Jack felt that she would be a gorgeous creature. Even through all of this commotion, he felt some kind of pull or connection towards her, and he knew that she was not in a place to defend herself at the moment. _

_ He stood up and shouted, "Hey! What do you think you're doing!?" _

_ The huntsman lethargically swung around, almost tripping over the vines around his legs. He pulled himself from them angrily, "Mind your own business, Frosty! This one's mine!" _

_ Jack figured that the behemoth thought that he was after his "catch", making him shudder in disgust, "She's not anyone's!" _

_ He jumped down from the tree, and only then did he realize how much this monster truly towered over him. He did not back down though, he knew he was probably stronger than this lump. He examined the huntsman and smirk cockily, who suddenly seemed unnerved by his poise, 'Who do you think you are?" _

_ "Jack Frost" was all it took for the other spirit to completely lose his confidence. He shook it off with a grunt along with the vines that had taken ahold again. He feigned disinterest and began to walk away. Jack did not bother to chase him, instead turning his attention to the tiny spirit, who was starting to sneak away. He crouched down to her level, "Hey there." _

_ She stopped and looked up at him, still shaken up and filthy she did not say anything. He pursed his lips, "I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise."_

_ She nodded slightly walked closer to him. He scooped her up into his hands gently, trying to ignore the warm slimy feel of the material covering her. She winced as he jostled he leg, causing him to apologize profusely, she just shook her head and let him carry her to a nearby stream, "I'm sorry little deer, I don't know what to do for your leg but I can at least clean you up." _

_ At the stream, he set her on a warm rock and then began to dig through the cool water of the stream to pull rocks together into a tall ring, stilling the water that was trapped in it. He turned and cupped his hands around her yet again, setting her in the circle where she could rest on a rock below the water. Carefully, he began to wash the fluid from her, making sure though to avoid her injured leg. She hummed quietly and he felt a strange happiness wash over him. As she did this, she studied him, seemingly happy with something mysterious. _

_ "What's your name?" He asked quietly as he stroked a thumb over her head. _

_ She appeared to contemplate for a moment before answering, "You may call me Surrel." _

_ "That's a nice name." _

_ "Jack Frost is as well." _

_ He looked away a bit, almost ashamed of his identity, "Yes, I suppose it is, also reacts as a repellant for some reason." _

_ "It suits you." _

_ Jack realized then that this little creature was not afraid of him in the slightest. He could not help but smile, and he gently picked her up out of the water, "Maybe you should stay with me until your leg heals?" _

_ She seemed to think for a moment before she nodded, "I would like that, thank you." _

Ouo ouo present ouo ouo

Jack did not tell Surrel of his dark dreams and thoughts at that time. He knew that she would have easily pulled him back from that ledge he was quickly approaching without breaks, but he also knew that she would understand any actions that he took. She could always see how much he suffered with the guardians, and she wanted to tell them to help, but only Bunny now knew of her existence. Even so, E. Aster Bunnymund did not know the extent of their relationship. As she laid next to him, she could feel his conflict, and she wanted nothing more than to help him.

"What do you think Jamie is up to today?" Jack asked her in a dazed voice.

She tilted her head, "He is most likely in class today."

He just nodded before drifting back into his thoughts, his thumb absentmindedly stroking her. He had been very quiet for the whole day since she had returned from the Warren. Something had happened to him while she was away, but he would not tell her, which was strange since he would share anything else with her easily. On top of it all, there was an unfamiliar air surrounding him that put Surrel on edge. She sighed and dropped her head onto the couch and let herself slowly drift off to sleep. She wished they could play again soon.

Jack sighed quietly and closed his eyes, he needed to get out of the cabin, and he was beginning to feel feverish. He looked down at Surrel and saw that she was fast asleep. He sighed and whispered a small goodbye before slowly standing up and making his way to the door.

Ouo ouo ouo ouo

Nicholas St. North stood before the window in his private office, staring out over the white expanse that made up the North Pole and surrounded his workshop. From where he stood he could hear the yetis and elves working tirelessly on the many toys that he needed for the upcoming Christmas. Behind him, on many different shelves, his newest designs for toys where placed, made of ice and brought to life by his magic. His mind was not on Christmas though, or toy designing, or even cookies for that fact. Instead, he was more focused on the thoughts of one Jack Frost, who he had not seen in several months. He had contacted Toothiana and Sanderson, but neither of them had seen the frosty guardian. He did not even bother to ask Aster seeing as the two usually made sure to avoid one another.

The boy had a tendency to disappear for long periods of time, but last time North had seen him, Jack had been acting kind of off. He tried to make the boy feel welcome, yet he was still uncomfortable staying at the pole or even Tooth's palace for long periods of time. He was courteous to them all, and held a lot of care for the children he protected, but did not seem to give any of the sentiment to him or the other guardians. North knew he should not find this odd though, seeing as Jack had only been with them for ten years and was still growing into them.

At any rate, he hoped that Jack was alright.

_xoxoxoxoxo_

Okay hope you liked it, i will update soon. **Also please review if you'd like to it helps to keep me writing if i know people like what im doing! i also update faster then.**

Also a catalpa tree is a large flowering tree which makes large bean like pods, they are common in the northeast region of america, the flowers kind of look like an orchid mixed with a violet.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi there everyone! I decided to put Bunny in this one, because ive been neglecting contact between the two for the past two chapters. Hope ya enjoy!

_xoxoxoxox_

Outside of his cabin, Jack stretched and looked up at the sun that was warm from its post high in the sky. He let out a little puff of air. He probably just needed a bit of time to himself, well . . . him and the Wind, but she did not say much. He just needed to sort out his thoughts, as far as he saw, either way there were pros and cons, it was just the fact of which was worse. Why was he so calm about this? This was Pitch he was talking about. He hurt children, but so did Jack. The winter sprite hated himself for this, not only was he overbearing, his powers would often hurt and even kill children. And then there was the fact that all of the other spirits, sans Surrel, were either afraid of him or just tolerated him.

He closed his eyes for a moment, before whispering, "Get me out of here, Wind."

He felt a lurch as he was launched into the sky, and he instantly felt lighter. He looked down at the land stretched, seemingly endlessly around him. It was too green for his tastes, but he resisted the urge to cover it all with a blizzard, now was not the time. He sighed and turned, the Wind matching his movements, knowing exactly where he wanted to go. The trip did not take long, and it was quiet with only the sound of wind rushing past his ears. He would probably be better off with Pitch, yet his morals held him back for his fear of harming the children he longed to protect. Then he remembered bitterly the way that many spirits had shunned and abandoned him, and how Bunny had told him he could not be a guardian. The Easter spirit was right. He was not mad at them really, it was not their fault, everyone treated him as such . . . except Pitch.

He stopped his motion, now floating over a very familiar pond, one that he had mixed feelings for. It was his birthplace; it was the place that brought him here, to grow, to suffer. It was a place for him to return to when he was just starting his life, but it was also an extremely cold reminder that he was brought here to cause people to suffer. Sure he was the guardian of fun, but he was also destructive. He had spent many years doing his best to provide fun for the pond's visitors by making it perfect to skate on, but since becoming a guardian he had been neglecting this yearly ritual. It was not that he was too busy to visit the place, it was also where they had finally defeated Pitch, for some reason, that thought made his skin crawl.

He floated down, and as he landed he saw a familiar figure, "Pitch? What are you doing here?"

The tall Nightmare King stood at the center of the lake, and he seemed to have been shocked from some sort of deep thought, "ah Jackson Frost, just who I was looking for, how are you?"

Pitch avoided his question, but he would pry it from it later. Jack instead answered, "I'm fine, how are you?"

Might as well be courteous.

A sharp, wide smile spread across the shades face, "I am well, no thanks to you and your little guardian friends."

Jack nodded, "well, I wouldn't exactly call them my friends."

Pitch raised an eyebrow in genuine interest, "Oh really now?"

What kind of idiot is he? Why would he even tell this guy something like that?! Jack scolded himself silently, and refused to respond, but the other continued, "Oh I see. You're an outcast to everyone, aren't you Jackson?"

He remained quiet.

Pitch's eyes glinted greedily, much like the huntsman about 250 years ago, and he moved closer to Jack, "Just like me, huh?"

The smaller male winced and looked away in shame, whispering, "yes . . ."

Pitch chuckled lowly, "No need to be ashamed Jack. I'm sure you have questions?"

He did, but he was not sure if he trusted the King of Nightmares to answer truthfully. Jack watched him carefully.

As if reading his mind, he laughed, "Oh come on Jackson, I have no reason to trick you, and I always love the opportunity to educate a young soul.

Jack shook his head, but they both knew that he was starting to cave. He did not have much will left to fight anyone as long as giving up meant acceptance. It was selfish of him, he knew, but three hundred years could do that to anyone in his situation. If anything, he had survived better than many others, but anyone would cave after so long. He knew that accepting help from Pitch meant he was closer to joining him. He sighed and closed his eyes tightly, "Why . . . why is everyone afraid of me?"

He had figured Pitch had been around long enough to give him the answer that the Guardians had refused to give him. The sharp smile returned, "Well, no one has told you?"

Jack shook his head.

"They know that you are dangerous. You have so much power, much more than any normal ice elemental, and they all know it. You are unstable and hold so much power that just your coming to this world caused terrible amounts of destruction. But it seems no one told you about that. The night of your birth Jack, there was a storm that killed hundreds."

". . . No"

"Yes Jack, your powers are completely unbalanced, you were designed only to hurt, just like me"

"Then why am I a guardian? Why was that why I was created?"

"Do you think the Man in the Moon created you? Oh no Jack, your birth was something much bigger than him; in our universe he is only a mere warden to this prison that is our planet. Sure he is the ultimate force over us, but he cannot even touch the level of forces that created you", Pitch's voice was filled with glee, a dark joy, as he told Jack these things.

"I always thought . . . how is that possible? How can I trust you!? You're evil!"

"Oh, dear Jack I am not evil, sure I went a little crazed with anger this last time, but this is my job. The world needs fear, because without it there is no ambition or advancement. I am not the bad guy, there really is none in this world."

Jack guessed this was true, he often saw in black in white, evil and good, but he always knew there was much more than that. He supposed that it was true, that the world needed fear, just as the world needed ice, and Pitch could not help that he was the one chosen taken to fill this position. Just like it was not his fault that he was chosen to take on the position he was. But one question irked at him, "Then if that's true, why do they still fear me?"

"The same reason they are afraid of me, they are ignorant Jack. I accept you Jack; I know that you are just doing your job. If you come with me, then I will always be there."

"N-no . . . I have the guardians, they're there for me."

"Oh, that's rich!" Pitch laughed as silky shadows began to wrap around him, "Stop lying to yourself."

With those last words, the Nightmare King disappeared, leaving them to echo in Jack's head.

_Stop lying to yourself. _

Ouo ouo ouo ouo

Bunnymund sighed, rushing through the forest of Northeast America, in search of Jack. He knew his best bet was the pond where they defeated Pitch ten years ago, seeing as that was the only known spot that Jack frequented. They were sure he did not make his home there, seeing as there were no nearby caves or structures. He wanted to apologize to Jack, for everything, to let him know how much he cared, but he was not sure if the winter sprite would even listen to him. He would not blame Jack if he did not. He stopped at the edge of the clearing where the pond was and looked out, where he saw who he was looking for.

He stood up and walked from the tree line, approaching the wintery spirit, who was clearly upset and lost in thought. Suddenly feeling rather nervous, Aster cleared his throat, "Hey mate."

Jack jumped, startled by the sudden noise and turned his body to face Aster. His expression was shocked at first and then it settled into a kind smile, "Hey there Bunny, what are you doing here?"

"Lookin' for you"

"Oh . . ." Jack's smile slid from face and he watched the guardian of hope solemnly, "Did you need something then?"

The rabbit sighed and walked forward, sitting next to Jack in the luscious grass with a heavy sigh, "I just need to talk to you."

He was not looking at the boy but he could literally him wince, "About what?"

Aster knew this would come. He had to swallow his pride and admit that after so long he was wrong for treating Jack like he had. He shut his eyes tightly before blurting out, "I'm so sorry mate."

He heard a small almost inaudible gasp, but then Jack shrugged it off, "For what?"

The Pooka groaned, so the sprite was going to make him say it? "For everything, for treating you like I did, I'm sorry."

Jack was silent for the longest time. They sat there for almost 10 minutes, both of them completely tense in each other's company. After a while Bunny grew impatient, "Well mate?"

Jack finally sighed, "I don't know . . ."

At this, he grew outraged, "What do ya mean you don't know!?"

He regretted these words as soon as he saw Jack trembling from the corner of his eye, but he let Jack speak, "I mean I don't know what I'm even doing anymore! I've been here three _hundred _years, and I have only ever made one friend! I don't even belong with the guardians."

Before Aster could say anything, the Wind carried Jack off, leaving him to his thoughts. Three hundred years was not that long to him, but then he remembered that that was all the time that Jack had so far. He realized that the newest guardian wasn't even mad at anyone anymore, just hurting.

_xoxoxoxox_

Okay, hope you guys liked it! i hope to update soon!, **Please review, this is not required of course but it really helps me out! **


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys! Im so sorry for not updating sooner, but there has been so much going on in my life right now and i have not had the time to write! so in return have an extra long chapter! i hope you enjoy! also more with Bunny and Jack for your pleasures.

_xoxoxoxo_

Aster sat by the pond where Jack had left him for a good few hours, lost in thought as plans brewed in his mind. He knew that Jack was hurting, and he guessed that he always knew it. So why had he never reached out to help the sprite? Instead leaving him to hurt and suffer on his own, well with Surrel, but one person can only do so much for him. On top of that, something had seemed off about him, he seemed even paler then usual and strangely drained, as well as the fact that he seemed to have a lot on his mind. He wished that he could help, but Jack was reluctant to spill whatever was bothering him. Bunny figured his best bet at this point in time was to talk to North. Sandy knew him better, but Bunny would not be able to understand any of it.

Standing, he tapped his foot on the ground, opening a hole to North's workshop. He had to figure this all out.

Ouo ouo ouo ouo

At the pole, after a long run and then a dash through freezing cold, Bunny burst into North's private office, where the jolly yet frightening man sat at his desk, tinkering. At Aster's entrance, he sat straight up, the chisel he was using held at the ready as a weapon, causing the Easter spirit to raise his paws in surrender. When the saint calmed, he put his arms down and continued to walk forward. He was angry, and Santa could tell, but not at him. Aster was angry at all of them as a group, himself included. North put down the tools he was holding and stood to greet his old friend, "Bunny, good friend, how are you?"

"Not so well mate, we have trouble with Jack", Bunny let the man hug him, but he did not move to return the gesture.

Quickly, North put him down and studied him closely with squinted eyes, "What is trouble?"

Bunny sighed, North always thought of the worst, and now that he had thought of it, it sounded almost ridiculous, "Jack is hurting bad."

"Who hurt him?" North asked angrily, his eyes fiery as he went for his twin swords.

"No mate, we did. He is an outcast to us. He suffers because he doesn't belong, or so the fool thinks."

"What? We welcome Jack! He is friend and guardian now! What you do Rabbit?" North stormed forward, towering over him, "Your job to make him feel welcome with us, he should feel comfortable."

"Oh no, that was all of ours' job, even before he was suffering! None of us reached out to him!"

North stopped and stared down at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but then he shut it as he realized that Bunnymund's words were the truth. Truly, there was no one to blame for causing this, but none of them have reached out to the newest guardian. They all had figured that Jack had probably faced some hurt, knowing his reputation, and they all knew, even if they did not say it, that Jack had probably never had anyone to reach out to. They were all cautious towards him though, as they knew that Jack had caused and still causes the storms that hurt and kill people. Jack was a guardian, but he still had the power to hurt people and especially children, who are weak to the cold elements. Finally, the guardian of wonder spoke, "We call Tooth and Sandy, then we talk."

Bunny nodded. He might as well make himself at home since he was going to be there for a while.

Ouo ouo ouo ouo

Jack closed his eyes, lettingthe wind sting his cheeks and rub them raw, for now he just did not want contact with anyone, not even Pitch. He just wanted to find a quiet place where he could think without any outside influence. He just wanted his own thoughts, his own conclusions. He knew that he could not satisfy everyone, and they were all thoughtlessly pulling at him, even if some of them did not even know. If he joined Pitch, he wouldn't be evil . . . would he? Like the dark spirit had said, he was only doing his job, such as Jack's job was to bring the cold and snow of winter. It was never their fault that they were chosen to perform these unsavory jobs. Even though Jack did not want to he figured that he should go see North at his workshop.

The journey was longer than he had expected as he purposefully flew slowly to prolong the encounter he was throwing himself into. He knew that North would have a lot of questions of where he had been and why he was gone so long, and he was not eager to answer them. He especially hoped that he did not look too worried or depressed or anything that the man could pick up on. He knew that he looked worn down, but maybe he could pass it off as him being worn out from traveling. Of course the man was very keen to the wants, desires, and emotions of others. During his flight, Jack contemplated just turning around and going home, but he knew he should go see North, to put the man at ease.

He neared the expanse of white that made up the land before he reached the North Pole, and he sighed in relief to be in a familiar element. The snow and cold was very relaxing to him and he enjoyed it much more than the spring warmth that surrounded the country where he lived. It was not that he hated the warmth though, he loved all weather, and not to mention Spring reminded him of his fellow guardian. The cold however, was his domain, cold snow and ice, causing him momentary joy. He spread his arms and closed his eyes, as he laughed and trusted the Wind to guide him. He needed this sometimes, to not have to worry about everything that was pulling at him. Even so he missed Surrel's presence, he was not used to separating himself from her for long and he was starting to notice her absence. That was his fault though; he was the one who left her behind in their cabin. She would be able to find him. She was always able to find him.

As he neared the workshop, tightness clenched at Jack's gut. North would have a barrage of questions for him, seeing as he has not visited him since the saint's Christmas party. He landed at the front door, hesitating as he tried to decide whether to stay or just leave. He wavered on his feet temporarily as a small wave of dizziness hit him. He brushed it off and gently knocked, doubting that anyone would even hear it over the noises of the workshop and everything else. He stood with his eyes to the ground for probably a minute before he was surprised by the sound of the latch being lifted. His head shot up and his eyes met with forest green ones that obviously did not belong to any inhabitants of the workshop.

Aster stood shocked in the doorway, holding it half open and examining Jack, who smiled nervously, "Hey Bunny, I didn't know you were here."

Aster nodded, "Well I am, mate."

Jack looked extremely exhausted to him, even more so than when they met at the pond. His hair was a mess and his cheeks were completely flushed as he tottered in the doorway. It seemed as if the sprite had not rested well in days or weeks, maybe months, which was probably true. Even as much as Bunny wanted to question him on why he was here, He did not, instead letting the smaller male in from the cold. Before he stepped in though, Jack gave him a cautious look, for whatever reason. He was definitely not as alert as he usually was. Soon, they heard the thundering steps of north as he came down the hall, shouting to Jack, "Greeting friend! Long time no see!"

Jack seemed to relax a bit at the friendlier atmosphere when the man swept him into a bone crushing hug. He coughed and sputtered when he was dropped, and he held onto North's arm for a moment, "Nice to see ya too big guy."

North grabbed his shoulders and looked into his eyes and examined his face, "You are tired, Jack, and hungry perhaps?"

Jack sighed and just nodded. He did not have the will to fight the wondrous guardian, and he really wanted to sleep. Food sounded good to him too, as he let himself be led to the kitchen. The overbearing warmth of the whole workshop helped wash Jack with a pleasant drowsiness, making him feel safer than when he was in the cold. Somehow that just reminded him of Pitch, which was what angered him. The cold was _his _not that monster's, he could not just take it from him like that. Pitch was darkness and nightmares, he was the cold!

Lost in thought, Jack did not realize that he was now in the kitchen, surrounded by North, yetis, and elves, and bunny was nowhere to be seen. Most had a look in their eyes that suggested a question, which none where brave enough to ask. Instead, they watched as North gathered a large pile of food and placed it heavily in front of him on the large pine island that was the centerpiece of the room. Jack thanked him quietly and started to pick at his food, occasionally looking up at the crowd around him. It took them a while to figure out that he was waiting for them to leave, which was prompted by Santa saying, "Everyone to work! Leave jack in peace!"

Jack smiled gratefully at him when he left before returning to his food. The plate was completely crowded with meats and sweets and many other things. Spirits did not really have to eat, but a lot of them liked the luxury of it and made the tasting of human foods and cooking it into a recreation. Some would even experiment and concoct their own recipes even though they were never really safe for human consumption. Jack himself rarely ate except for when North forced him to. He did not mind though since it was all extremely delicious. He scooted into the stools that one of the yetis had provided and began to eat slowly, if at all. He continued to pick at it, but taking a bite every minute or so. He enjoyed the flavor of it all, sweet and succulent. His mind was too occupied with other things to truly enjoy it.

The encounter between him and Bunny came to the forefront of his mind. The Easter spirit had only been trying to apologizing to him . . . he knew this. Even so, he had not known what to say at the time. He was not expecting any kind of apology from any four of them, especially not the one who did. He had always thought that they believed that he was a happy and careless spirit. Apparently he was not doing as good of a job as he thought he was. He knew that Bunny had meant well, but he snapped on him when he shouted at him. He was used to his short temper, so why did he freak out like that? Jack sighed, he must just be really on edge right now. He didn't want the Pooka angry with him ever. Since they had met, Jack had only ever wanted to make up for all that he had done to anger Aster, but at this rate he felt as though he would always be hated at the core. Nobody could really love the bitter cold except for the dark.

"Y'alright mate?"

Jack's heart jumped as well as him, his knee crashing into the bottom of the island, knocking his plate to the ground where it shattered. He cursed as the fragments dug into his feet and pain shot up his legs. He fumbled back quickly, and his eyes shot up to look at Aster who stood, shocked, with his hands up almost defensively. Jack grumbled quietly, "what're you doing here?"

He was answered with a sigh, "I was just checkin' on ya."

"I'm fine"

"Look again mate" Aster answered, pointing to the pool of slushy blood forming at his feet. Jack took a step back, wincing in pain as he did so. He tried to get the Wind to pick him up, but he was too exhausted to even call her. He tottered slightly and shook his head which had grown fuzzy. When he went to walk forward, he stumbled a bit, catching himself on the table. He decided to just ignore that.

"It will heal in a few minutes", He insisted. Jack really did not want any attention being drawn to himself at the moment. He knew he was not well and they would all be able to tell as, so he only wanted to be left alone. That was not possible now, though. He walked forward again, ignoring the throbbing pain that shot up his legs with each step. He went to push past Bunny, but he was caught across the chest with one arm and then thrown over a shoulder. He wanted to struggle at first, but he figured he would just let the spirit take him when a wave of exhaustion hit him. He felt his eyes starting to grow heavy as if Sandy himself were forcing them shut. Before he drifted off, however, he mumbled Surrel's name, not really registering where he was anymore.

Ouo ouo ouo ouo

Aster walked slowly and carefully down the large hallway with Jack slung asleep over his shoulder, thinking solely of said spirit. He could not even imagine how tired the boy was to be asleep in such an uncomfortable position, but he was managing it. Bunny tried to ignore the cold wetness of Jack's blood that was starting to mat into his fur, but he was also very concerned. He usually healed extremely fast, like any supernatural creature, but the bleeding still had not stopped. Could it be that he was so exhausted that he didn't even have the energy to regenerate like he usually would? Even if they did not need to sleep, they still needed to rest so that they could recharge their energy so to say. Food would help too of course, but all spirits cores where generally self-sustaining and drew energy from their surroundings. It seems though as if Jack had not given himself a real break in maybe a year or even two. None of them had noticed.

Bunny sighed and shook his head. How could they all be so dense? They were losing their chance to help Jack but all of them had been too bent on avoiding the real problem. Each and every one of them knew of the stigma, but they never wanted to accept that it had become such a large problem for the winter spirit. Bunny believed that they were protecting him from the beginning but so did all of them. Now he was slung over the pooka's shoulder with wounds that he couldn't heal. He let out another puff of air before stopping and looking at the large wooden door to a guest room.

Ouo ouo ouo ouo

When Jack's eyes opened he was in a dark and quiet room, large but homely, probably one of North's guest rooms. He stared up at the canopy of thick drapery that flowed like still water over rocks, trapped by time with dark creases hiding little horrors and nightmares. He wanted to just lay there and cry in this darkness, to let his heart just drop into his aching feet to let the weary hands holding it up rest. He did not want to be found now, he was sick of the nightmares he had to endure. Maybe Pitch could take them away, but there was the chance they would only get worse.

He sat up, shivering, but he of course he was not cold though, just . . . he did not even know anymore. He leaned forward cradling his head in the palms of his hands. Cold . . . like always. He wanted to snap, but why now? He had held it in for so long, had kept himself suspended in the space between normality and absolute break-down, and now here he was and something had set him off. He was not sure what had caused all of this though. There was something building up inside of him, a cold heat that was coiling into tension, and he could feel what was left of his power expanding inside of him, restless with his upset. He tried to breathe, to calm himself, but it only grew worse. His whole body trembled and heat began to surround him lying heavy over him. He gasped airlessly as the shadows started to swirl at the corners of his vision.

He screamed in pain when they licked at his skin, burning the flesh of his bare legs and arms. Everything was being engulfed in the darkness, rotting it all with unbearable heat. It ate away the room and the workshop around him, only leaving the bed, surrounded completely in shadows. He tried to summon cold to fight back against the growing heat, but it only seemed to get worse with each attempt. He screamed in frustration and terror. There was no way out! He couldn't escape. He closed his eyes so tightly it hurt and whispered pleas for mercy, but there was none as the shadows completely engulfed him is searing heat.

.

. .

. . .

. . . .

. . .

. .

.

Cold . . .

It was quiet again, even so Jack dreaded opening his eyes. He was afraid of facing any of the other guardians after that last nightmare; it was unlike anything else he had faced yet. When he did open them, everything was normal, or at least not gone. Instead it was also frozen solid. He cursed himself internally and tried to sit up, but when he attempted, he could not move. He began to panic and his breathing quickened. He tried to open his mouth to scream but he could not summon the energy to.

All he could do was let out a noise, sounding like a whimper that was supposed to be a scream, before he passed out.

_xoxoxoxox_

I promise Surrel will return soon! thanks for reading! Love you if you review please!


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